JP7442031B2 - Humidification equipment and ventilation equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a humidifier and a ventilation device.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, there is a humidifying device that humidifies inhaled air by impregnating it with water stored in a water storage part and blowing out the humidified air (for example, Patent Document 1). In the humidifier described in Patent Document 1, the water level in the water storage section is detected by a water level sensor and at least an automatic water supply valve is controlled to fill the water storage section to a predetermined level.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-279514

However, in the humidifying device described in Patent Document 1, even if the automatic water supply valve is malfunctioning, it cannot be detected unless the automatic water supply valve outputs its own malfunction to the humidification device. Therefore, even if an abnormality occurs in which water cannot be stored in the water storage section due to a failure of the automatic water supply valve, there is a problem in that it is difficult for the user of the humidifier to understand the abnormality.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a humidifying device and a ventilation device that can notify a user of an abnormality due to a failure of a water supply unit.

In order to achieve this object, the humidifying device of the present invention includes an inlet for sucking air, an outlet for blowing out the air sucked from the inlet, and an air path between the inlet and the outlet. a humidifying section for humidifying the air; a water storage section for storing water for humidifying the air by the humidifying section; and a water supply section for supplying water to the water storage section. a first water level detection section that is provided in the water storage section and detects a first water level of the water storage section; a notification unit that notifies a failure of the water supply unit that the water supply unit cannot supply water to the water storage unit if the detection unit does not detect the first water level ; and a notification unit that is higher than the first water level. a second water level detection unit that detects a second water level of the water level, and after the water supply unit starts supplying water, the second water level detection unit detects the second water level before the first water level detection unit detects the first water level. The present invention is characterized in that when the water supply section detects the second water level, the water supply section stops supplying water to the water storage section .

Further, in the ventilation device of the present invention, a casing having an outdoor suction port, an outdoor air outlet, an indoor suction port, and an indoor air outlet communicates with the outdoor air inlet and the indoor air outlet. an air supply air passage; an exhaust air passage that communicates the indoor side inlet and the outdoor air outlet; and an air supply that is provided in the air supply air passage and guides air from the outdoor air intake port to the indoor air outlet. a fan, an exhaust fan that is provided in the exhaust air passage and guides air from the indoor suction port to the outdoor air outlet, and an indoor humidity sensor that detects the humidity of the air sucked from the indoor suction port; The humidifying device of the present invention is provided in the air supply air path, and is characterized in that the air sucked from the outdoor side suction port is humidified.

According to the humidifier and ventilation device of the present invention, after the water supply unit starts supplying water to the water storage unit, the first water level detection unit that detects the first water level of the water storage unit detects the water level after the first predetermined time has elapsed. If it is not detected, the notification unit will notify you of a water supply abnormality. As a result, the present invention has the advantage of being able to provide a humidifying device and a ventilation device that can notify a user of an abnormality due to a failure of the water supply unit.

1 is a schematic diagram of a heat exchange gas device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view of a liquid atomization device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic sectional view of the same liquid atomization device in the vertical direction. It is a flowchart which shows the humidification operation process of the same liquid atomization apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the humidification operation process of the same liquid atomization apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the full water detection process of the same liquid atomization apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described below each represent a preferred specific example of the present invention. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement positions and connection forms of the components shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and do not limit the present invention. Therefore, among the constituent elements in the following embodiments, constituent elements that are not described in the independent claims representing the most significant concept of the present invention will be explained as arbitrary constituent elements. Further, in each figure, substantially the same configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted or simplified.

First, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, an outline of a heat exchange air device 50 according to an embodiment of a ventilation device of the present invention and a liquid atomization device 1 according to an embodiment of a humidification device of the present invention The configuration will be explained. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a heat exchange device 50. As shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the liquid atomization device 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the liquid atomization device 1. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the heat exchange air device 50 has an outdoor suction port 55, an outdoor air outlet 54, an indoor air suction port 56, and an indoor air outlet 57 in a housing 52. The heat exchange air device 50 also includes a supply air path 58 that communicates between the outdoor side suction port 55 and the indoor side blow-off port 57, and an exhaust air path 59 that communicates the indoor side suction port 56 and the outdoor side blow-off port 54. It is equipped with

Fresh outdoor air (outside air, supply air) introduced from the outdoor side suction port 55 and contaminated indoor air (exhaust air) introduced from the indoor side suction port 56 are transferred to an air supply fan 62 and an exhaust fan 63. The air flows through the supply air passage 58 and the exhaust air passage 59, respectively.

The air supply fan 62 is provided on the downstream side of a heat exchange element 64 (to be described later) in the air supply air path 58, and guides air sucked in from the outdoor side suction port 55 to the indoor air outlet 57 through the air supply air path 58. The air guided to the indoor air outlet 57 is supplied indoors. On the other hand, the exhaust fan 63 is provided on the downstream side of the heat exchange element 64 in the exhaust air path 59 and guides the exhaust air sucked in from the indoor suction port 56 to the outdoor air outlet 54 through the exhaust air path 59. The air guided to the outdoor air outlet 54 is exhausted outdoors.

A heat exchange element 64 is arranged at a position where the supply air passage 58 and the exhaust air passage 59 intersect. The heat exchange element 64 performs heat exchange between the supply air passing through the supply air passage 58 and the exhaust air passing through the exhaust air passage 59 using a total heat exchange method. The heat exchange element 64 supplies the total heat (temperature and humidity) of the exhausted air to the supplied air, or supplies the total heat of the supplied air to the discharged air.

An outdoor humidity sensor 67 is disposed closer to the outdoor suction port 55 than the heat exchange element 64 in the supply air passage 58, and an indoor humidity sensor is disposed closer to the indoor suction port 56 than the heat exchange element 64 in the exhaust air passage 59. 66 are arranged.

The outdoor humidity sensor 67 detects the humidity of the supply air (outdoor air) sucked in from the outdoor suction port 55 . The indoor humidity sensor 66 detects the humidity of exhaust air (indoor air) sucked in from the indoor suction port 56.

Further, the liquid atomization device 1 is disposed downstream of the air supply fan 62 in the air supply air path 58 (on the side of the indoor air outlet 57). The liquid atomization device 1 humidifies the supply air sucked in from the outdoor side suction port 55. That is, the air humidified by the liquid atomization device 1 is supplied into the room from the indoor air outlet 57. The heat exchange air device 50 controls the amount of moisture contained in the indoor air by controlling the amount of humidification in the liquid atomization device 1 so that the amount of moisture contained in the indoor air becomes a target amount of moisture.

As shown in FIG. 2, this liquid atomization device 1 includes a suction port 2 for sucking air, an inner cylinder 5 that communicates with the suction port 2 and is open at the bottom as a ventilation port 7, and an outer cylinder that encloses the inner cylinder 5. 9, and an air outlet 3 provided above the outer cylinder 9 from which the air sucked in through the suction port 2 and passed through the inner cylinder 5 and the outer cylinder 9 is blown out.

As shown in FIG. 3, the liquid atomization device 1 includes a suction communication air passage 4, an inner cylinder air passage 6, and an outer cylinder air passage 8, which are formed between an inlet 2 and an outlet 3. There is. The suction communication air passage 4 is an air passage through which air sucked in by the suction port 2 flows toward the inner cylinder 5 with which it communicates. The inner cylinder air passage 6 is an air passage formed inside the inner cylinder 5, and is an air passage through which air flowing from the suction communication air passage 4 flows toward the ventilation port 7 of the inner cylinder 5. The outer cylinder air passage 8 is an air passage formed between the inner diameter of the outer cylinder 9 and the outer diameter of the inner cylinder 5, and the air blown out from the ventilation port 7 of the inner cylinder 5 passes through the inside of the outer cylinder 9. This is an air path that passes through and is guided to the air outlet 3.

The liquid atomization device 1 includes a liquid atomization section 19 provided in an air passage formed by the suction communication air passage 4, the inner cylinder air passage 6, and the outer cylinder air passage 8. The air sucked in from the suction port 2 is humidified by including water made fine by the part 19 in the air flowing through the air path. The liquid atomization section 19 is the humidification section of the present invention.

The liquid atomization section 19 is the main part of the liquid atomization device 1, and is where water is atomized. In the liquid atomization device 1 , air taken in through the suction port 2 is sent to the liquid atomization section 19 via the suction communication air path 4 . Then, the liquid atomization device 1 impregnates the air passing through the inner cylinder air passage 6 with the water atomized by the liquid atomization unit 19, and transfers the water-containing air to the outer cylinder air passage 8. It is configured so that the air is blown out from the air outlet 3 via the air outlet 3.

The liquid atomization section 19 includes a collision wall 5a that is open at the top and bottom. The collision wall 5a is provided by being fixed inside the inner cylinder 5. Further, the liquid atomization unit 19 is provided with a cylindrical water pump 21 that pumps up (pumps up) water while rotating inside the liquid atomization unit 19 surrounded by the collision wall 5a. The lift pipe 21 has an inverted conical hollow structure, and a rotating shaft 20 that is disposed vertically is fixed at the center of the top surface of the inverted conical shape. The rotating shaft 20 is connected to the rotating motor 23 provided on the outer surface of the liquid atomization unit 19, so that the rotational motion of the rotating motor 23 is transmitted to the water pumping pipe 21 through the rotating shaft 20, and the water pumping pipe 21 rotates. .

As shown in FIG. 2, the lift pipe 21 includes a plurality of rotary plates 22 formed so as to protrude outward from the outer surface of the lift pipe 21. The plurality of rotary plates 22 are formed at predetermined intervals in the axial direction of the rotary shaft 20 so as to protrude outward from the outer surface of the water pump 21 . Since the rotating plate 22 rotates together with the water pump 21, it is preferably in the shape of a horizontal disk coaxial with the rotating shaft 20. Note that the number of rotary plates 22 is appropriately set according to the target performance and the dimensions of the water pump 21.

Further, the wall surface of the water pumping pipe 21 is provided with an opening (not shown) that penetrates the wall surface of the water pumping pipe 21 . The opening of the lift pipe 21 is provided at a position communicating with a rotary plate 22 formed so as to protrude outward from the outer surface of the lift pipe 21 . The size of the opening in the circumferential direction needs to be designed according to the outer diameter of the portion of the lift pipe 21 where the opening is provided, for example, a diameter corresponding to 5% to 50% of the outer diameter of the lift pipe 21, More preferably, the diameter corresponds to 5% to 20% of the pumping pipe 21. Note that within the above range, the dimensions of each opening may be the same.

At the bottom of the liquid atomization section 19, a water storage section 10 is provided vertically below the water pumping pipe 21 to store water pumped by the water pumping pipe 21 to humidify the air. The depth of the water storage portion 10 is set so that a part of the lower part of the water pump 21, for example, about one-third to one-hundredth of the conical height of the water pipe 21 is immersed therein. This depth can be designed according to the required pumping amount.

Water is supplied to the water storage section 10 by a water supply section 15. A water supply pipe 16 is connected to the water supply unit 15, and water is directly supplied from the water supply pipe 16 through a water supply valve 17, for example. Note that the water supply unit 15 may be configured to pump only the necessary amount of water from a water tank provided outside the liquid atomization unit 19 in advance using the siphon principle, and supply water to the water storage unit 10. This water supply section 15 is provided above the bottom surface of the water storage section 10 in the vertical direction. Note that the water supply section 15 is preferably provided not only on the bottom surface of the water storage section 10 but also above the top surface of the water storage section 10 (the surface of the maximum water level that can be stored in the water storage section 10) in the vertical direction.

A drainage section 11 is provided at the center of the bottom surface of the water storage section 10. The drain port of the drain section 11 is provided at the lowest position of the water storage section 10. When the water atomization operation is stopped, the water stored in the water storage section 10 is drained from the drainage section 11 by opening the drain valve 12 provided in the drainage section 11.

Note that the drain valve 12 does not necessarily need to be provided. In this case, water stoppage and drainage in the drainage section 11 are realized by rotation of the water pump 21. That is, when the lift pipe 21 is rotated, a vortex is generated in the water in the water storage section 10 inside the lift pipe 21 due to the centrifugal force of the rotation. The lift pipe 21 forms a gap between the bottom of the center of the vortex generated by its rotation and the drain port of the drain section 11 . Thereby, water in the water storage section 10 can be prevented from being drained from the drainage section 11. On the other hand, when the rotation of the water pump 21 is stopped, water in the water storage section 10 flows into the drain port of the drain section 11. Thereby, the water in the water storage section 10 can be drained from the drainage section 11.

The water storage section 10 is provided with an overflow drain port 18. If more water than necessary is stored in the water storage section 10, water resistance may cause insufficient rotation of the water pump 21, water may leak from the liquid atomization device 1, or the rotary motor 23 may be submerged in water. There is a risk that it may malfunction. The overflow drain port 18 is provided to prevent such a situation from occurring, and is opened at a predetermined water level so that the water stored in the water storage section 10 does not rise above a predetermined water level. There is.

As a result, when water at a predetermined water level is stored in the water storage section 10, water is drained from the overflow drain port 18 even if water is supplied thereafter, and water at a predetermined water level or higher is stored in the water storage section 10. It is designed so that it will not happen.

The liquid atomization device 1 is provided with a reference water level detection section 24 and a full water level detection section 25 in order to detect a full water level as the first water level of the water storage section 10. Further, the liquid atomization device 1 is provided with an overflow level detection unit 26 in addition to the reference water level detection unit 24 in order to detect the overflow level as the second water level of the water storage section 10.

The full water level detection unit 25 detects, as a full water level (first water level), the level of water that should be stored in the water storage unit 10, which is necessary for the atomization of liquid by the liquid atomization unit 19, and uses an NTC thermistor. Consisted of. The full water level detection unit 25 is provided at a position lower than the position at which the overflow drain port 18 is provided at a predetermined water level. In other words, the position where the full water level is detected is set to a position lower than the position where the overflow drain port 18 is provided and the predetermined water level is reached.

The overflow water level detection section 26 is for detecting the overflow water level (second water level) before reaching the predetermined water level at which the overflow drain port 18 is provided as the water level of the water storage section 10, and is a full water level detection section. It is composed of the same NTC thermistor as No. 25. The overflow water level detection section 26 is provided at a position higher than the full water level at which the full water level detection section 25 is provided and lower than a predetermined water level at which the overflow drain port 18 is provided. That is, the second water level detected as the overflow water level is set higher than the full water level and lower than the predetermined water level at which the overflow drain port 18 is provided.

On the other hand, the reference water level detection section 24 is constituted by the same NTC thermistor as the full water level detection section 25 and the overflow water level detection section 26, and is configured at a water level higher than the predetermined water level position where the overflow drain port 18 is provided. provided. Due to the overflow drain port 18, water is not stored in the water storage section 10 at a water level higher than a predetermined water level, and the reference water level detection section 24 is always present in the air. Therefore, the output value of the reference water level detection section 24 is used as a reference for the output value.

Here, the output voltage value of the NTC thermistor changes depending on whether it is in water or in air. In this embodiment, when water is supplied to the water storage section 10, the voltage value output by the full water level detection section 25 and the voltage value output from the reference water level detection section 24 are compared. When the difference falls within a predetermined range (for example, 0.2V), it is determined that the full water level detection unit 25 is underwater, and water is stored in the water storage unit 10 up to the full water level. , close the water supply valve 17 and stop the water supply.

Further, when water is supplied to the water storage section 10, the voltage value outputted by the overflow water level detection section 26 is also compared with the voltage value outputted from the reference water level detection section 24. When the difference falls within a predetermined range (for example, 0.2V), it is determined that the overflow water level detection section 26 is underwater, and it is determined that water has been stored in the water storage section 10 up to the overflow water level. do.

If a full water level is detected during water supply to the water storage section 10 and the water supply is stopped, the water storage section 10 will not reach an overflow water level. On the other hand, when the overflow water level detection section 26 detects that the water storage section 10 has reached the overflow water level while the full water level detection section 25 has not detected that the water storage section 10 has reached the full water level, There is a possibility that a malfunction has occurred in the detection of the full water level by the water level detection unit 25, or that the full water level detection unit 25 is malfunctioning. Details will be described later, but in this case, the water supply valve 17 is closed to stop water supply, and after a predetermined period of time, the full water level detection unit 25 is used to determine whether or not the water storage unit 10 is at the full water level. do.

Here, even if the same NTC thermistor is used in the reference water level detection section 24, the full water level detection section 25, and the overflow water level detection section 26, variations in the characteristics of the thermistors will occur. Therefore, even under the same environment, variations occur in the output voltage values. Therefore, in this embodiment, the voltage value output by the full water level detector 25 and the voltage value output by the overflow water level detector 26 are corrected using the voltage value output by the reference water level detector 24.

For example, after the liquid atomization device 1 is energized for the first time and the voltage output from the reference water level detection section 24, full water level detection section 25, and overflow water level detection section 26 becomes stable (for example, 5 minutes), the relevant Perform correction. Further, the correction is also performed after the drying operation is performed every predetermined period of time (for example, 24 hours). In other words, the water storage section 10 is in a drought state, and the reference water level detection section 24, full water level detection section 25, and overflow water level detection section 26 are in the same environment, and ideally the same voltage value is output. The amendments will be made within the same period.

In this correction, the difference in voltage value obtained by subtracting the voltage value output from the full water level detection unit 25 from the voltage value output from the reference water level detection unit 24 is set as the offset voltage value related to the full water level detection unit 25. It is done by In addition, the correction is performed by subtracting the voltage value output from the overflow water level detection unit 26 from the voltage value output from the reference water level detection unit 24, and converting the difference between the voltage values into an offset voltage value related to the overflow water level detection unit 26. This is done by doing this.

Thereafter, the value obtained by adding the offset voltage value related to the full water level detecting section 25 to the voltage value actually output from the full water level detecting section 25 is the voltage value output from the full water level detecting section 25 as the voltage value of the full water level. Detection is performed. In addition, the value obtained by adding the offset voltage value related to the overflow water level detection unit 26 to the voltage value actually output from the overflow water level detection unit 26 is the voltage value output from the overflow water level detection unit 26 when the overflow water level is detected. It will be done. Thereby, the output value of the full water level detection section 25 and the output value of the overflow water level detection section 26 can be matched to the output value of the reference water level detection section 24, so that the water level of the water storage section 10 can be detected with high accuracy.

Note that the method of correcting the output value of the full water level detection section 25 and the output value of the overflow water level detection section 26 based on the output value of the reference water level detection section 24 is not limited to the above method; Any other method may be used as long as the output value by the reference water level detector 25 and the overflow water level detector 26 are corrected based on the output value by the reference water level detector 24.

Here, the operating principle of water atomization in the liquid atomization device 1 will be explained. When the rotary shaft 20 is rotated by the rotary motor 23 and the water pump 21 is rotated accordingly, the water stored in the water storage section 10 is pumped up by the water pump 21 due to the centrifugal force generated by the rotation. The rotation speed of the water pump 21 is set between 1000 and 5000 rpm. Since the water pump 21 has an inverted conical hollow structure, the water pumped up by rotation passes along the inner wall of the water pipe 21 and is pumped upward. Then, the pumped water is discharged in the centrifugal direction from the opening of the water pump 21 along the rotating plate 22, and is scattered as water droplets.

The water droplets scattered from the rotary plate 22 fly in a space surrounded by the collision wall 5a, collide with the collision wall 5a, and become fine. On the other hand, the air passing through the inner cylinder air passage 6 moves from the upper opening of the collision wall 5a into the interior of the collision wall 5a, and while containing water droplets crushed (refined) by the collision wall 5a, it passes from the lower opening to the collision wall. 5a Move outside. Thereby, the air sucked in through the suction port 2 of the liquid atomization device 1 can be humidified, and the humidified air can be blown out through the blowout port 3.

Since the kinetic energy of the water scattered from the rotating plate 22 is attenuated by friction with the air inside the collision wall 5a, it is preferable to place the rotating plate 22 as close to the collision wall 5a as possible. On the other hand, as the collision wall 5a and the rotary plate 22 are brought closer together, the amount of air passing through the interior of the collision wall 5a decreases, so the lower limit of the distance is arbitrarily determined by the pressure loss and the amount of air passing through the interior of the collision wall 5a.

Note that the liquid to be atomized may be other than water, and may be, for example, a liquid such as hypochlorous acid water having sterilizing/deodorizing properties. By including the atomized hypochlorous acid water in the air sucked in from the suction port 2 of the liquid atomization device 1 and blowing out the air from the outlet 3, the space in which the liquid atomization device 1 is placed is Sterilization/deodorization can be performed.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6, a humidification operation process executed in the liquid atomization device 1 to perform the humidification operation will be described. 4 and 5 are flowcharts showing this humidification operation process. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the full water detection process, which is one process in the humidification operation process. The humidification operation process is executed by a control unit (not shown) provided in the liquid atomization device 1.

In this humidification operation process, first, a water level detection unit correction process at the time of initial energization is executed (S1). In this first time energization water level detection unit correction process, it is determined whether or not the liquid atomization device 1 is being energized for the first time, and if it is the first time, it first waits for a certain period of time (for example, 5 minutes). As described above, this waiting time is a time for stabilizing the voltages output from the reference water level detection section 24, the full water level detection section 25, and the overflow water level detection section 26.

After a certain period of time has elapsed, while the water storage unit 10 is in a drought state, the voltage values output from the reference water level detection unit 24, the full water level detection unit 25, and the overflow water level detection unit 26 are used to detect the full water level detection unit 25. The offset voltage value and the offset voltage related to the overflow water level detection unit 26 are calculated.

Thereafter, the value obtained by adding the offset voltage value related to the full water level detection section 25 to the voltage value actually output from the full water level detection section 25 is used as the voltage value output from the full water level detection section 25 for detecting the full water level. used. In addition, the value obtained by adding the offset voltage value related to the overflow water level detection unit 26 to the voltage value actually output from the overflow water level detection unit 26 is used as the voltage value output from the overflow water level detection unit 26 to detect the full water level. used.

In addition, in the water level detection unit correction processing at the time of first energization, if it is determined that the energization to the liquid atomization device 1 is not the first time, the process directly proceeds to S2.

Next, in the humidification operation process, processes S2 to S4 are executed in order to supply water to the water storage section 10. First, in the process of S2, the drain valve 12 is closed to shut off the water in the water storage section 10, and then the water supply valve 17 is opened. Thereby, the water supply section 15 starts supplying water to the water storage section 10. In addition, when the drain valve 12 is not provided, as described above, by turning on the rotary motor 23 and rotating the water pump 21, draining from the drain section 11 is suppressed.

Next, in the humidification operation process, a full water detection process is executed (S3). This full water detection process is a process for detecting whether water has been stored in the water storage section 10 to the full water level. Here, details of the full water detection process will be explained with reference to FIG.

In the full water detection process, first, it is determined whether the water level of the water storage section 10 has reached the full water level (S20). Specifically, in the process of S20, the voltage value output by the full water level detector 25 and the voltage value output by the reference water level detector 24 are compared. At this time, as the voltage value output by the full water level detection section 25, the value obtained by adding the above-mentioned offset voltage value to the actually output voltage value is used. When the difference falls within a predetermined range (for example, 0.2V), it is determined that the full water level detection unit 25 is underwater.

Here, the full water level detection unit 25 exists in a state in which it exists in the air and a state in which it exists in water depending on the water level of the water storage unit 10. On the other hand, since the reference water level detection unit 24 is provided at a higher position than the predetermined position where the overflow drain port 18 is provided, it is always present in the air. Therefore, by comparing the voltage output from the reference water level detection section 24, which is always in the air, and the voltage output from the full water level detection section 25, it is possible to determine that the full water level detection section 25 is present in the water. When this occurs, the difference in voltage between the two can be reliably determined. As a result, false detection of the water level in the water storage section 10 can be suppressed. Note that the process of S20 corresponds to the first water level detection section of the present invention.

As a result of the process in S20, if the water level in the water storage section 10 reaches the full water level (S20: Yes), the full water detection process is ended and the process returns to the humidification operation process. On the other hand, as a result of the process in S20, if the water level of the water storage unit 10 is not at the full water level (S20: No), then after the water supply unit 15 starts supplying water, the second predetermined time (in this embodiment Then, it is determined whether 5 minutes) have elapsed (S21).

In the process of S21, it is also determined whether the water storage unit 10 has reached an overflow water level. Specifically, the voltage value output by the overflow water level detector 26 and the voltage value output by the reference water level detector 24 are compared. At this time, as the voltage value output by the overflow water level detection section 26, a value obtained by adding an offset voltage value related to the overflow water level detection section 26 to the actually output voltage value is used. Then, when the difference falls within a predetermined range (for example, 0.2V), it is determined that the overflow water level detection unit 26 is present in the water.

Here, the overflow water level detection unit 26 exists in a state in which it exists in the air or in a state in which it exists in water depending on the water level in the water storage unit 10. On the other hand, since the reference water level detection unit 24 is provided at a higher position than the predetermined position where the overflow drain port 18 is provided, it is always present in the air. Therefore, by comparing the voltage output from the reference water level detection section 24, which is always present in the air, and the voltage output from the overflow water level detection section 26, it is possible to determine that the overflow water level detection section 26 is present in the water. When this occurs, the difference in voltage between the two can be reliably determined. As a result, false detection of the water level in the water storage section 10 can be suppressed.

Note that the process in S21 corresponds to the second water level detection section of the present invention.

As a result of the process in S21, if the second predetermined time has not passed after the water supply unit 15 started supplying water and the water storage unit 10 has not reached the overflow water level (S21: No), the full water detection process is performed in S20. Returning to the process, it is determined again whether the water level of the water storage section 10 has reached the full water level.

On the other hand, as a result of the process in S21, after the water supply unit 15 starts supplying water, the second predetermined time has elapsed, or the overflow water level has been reached before the water storage unit 10 is detected to be at the full water level in the process in S20. If it is determined (S21: Yes), it is determined that the water supply to the water storage unit 10 is abnormal and the water supply valve 17 is closed to stop the water supply (S22).

Next, in the full water detection process, 1 is added to an abnormality counter stored in a RAM (not shown) (S23). The RAM is Random Access Memory provided in the control unit (not shown) of the liquid atomization device 1, and stores various variables used in processing executed by the control unit. The abnormality counter is one of the variables stored in the RAM, and is used to count abnormalities in water supply to the water storage unit 10. The abnormality counter is initialized to "0" every time execution of the full water detection process is started, and each time an abnormality in water supply to the water storage unit 10 is determined in the process of S21 during the full water detection process, the abnormality counter is initialized to "0". 1 is added by processing.

After the process of S23, the full water detection process waits until a certain period of time (25 minutes in this embodiment) has elapsed (S24). After a certain period of time has elapsed, the full water detection process determines whether the water level of the water storage section 10 has reached the full water level using the same method as in S20 (S25). Note that the sum of the second predetermined time that elapses due to the process in S21 and the certain time that elapses due to the process in S24 (30 minutes in this embodiment) corresponds to the third predetermined time of the present invention. do. Moreover, the process of S25 also corresponds to the first water level detection section of the present invention.

Here, the significance of waiting until a certain period of time has elapsed through the process of S24 and determining whether the water level of the water storage section 10 has reached the full water level again through the process of S25 will be explained.

In the process of S21, it is determined that the second predetermined time has passed after the water supply unit 15 started supplying water, or that the overflow water level has been reached before the water storage unit 10 is detected to be at the full water level in the process of S20. In this case, there is a possibility that the full water level has been detected incorrectly. In particular, when the temperature of the supplied water is high, there is no difference between the voltage value output from the reference water level detection section 24 and the voltage value output from the full water level detection section 25, and as a result, there is a possibility that the full water level cannot be detected. There is also.

If the temperature of the supplied water is high, the temperature of the water adjusts to the surrounding air after a certain period of time and becomes close to the temperature of the air in the water storage section 10. Then, there will be a clear difference between the voltage value output from the reference water level detection section 24 and the voltage value output from the full water level detection section 25, and erroneous detection of the full water level may be eliminated.

Therefore, after waiting until a certain period of time has elapsed through the process of S24, and after the water supply section 15 starts supplying water through the process of S25, the water level of the water storage section 10 reaches the full water level again after a third predetermined time has elapsed. Decide whether it has happened or not. As a result, if the water level in the water storage section 10 is at the full water level (S25: Yes), the false detection of the full water level is resolved and it can be determined that the water level in the water storage section 10 is at the full water level, so the full water level is detected. Finish the process and return to humidification operation process.

On the other hand, as a result of the processing in S25, if it is determined that the water level in the water storage section 10 is not at the full water level (S25: No), it is not immediately determined that the water supply valve 17 is malfunctioning, and the full water detection processing is performed using the abnormality counter. is 3 or more (S26). If the abnormality counter is less than 3 (S26: No), the water supply valve 17 is opened again, the water supply section 15 starts supplying water to the water storage section 10 (S27), and the process returns to S20.

This is because after the water supply section 15 started supplying water to the water storage section 10, the water storage section 10 did not reach its full water level because the water pressure supplied to the water supply section 15 momentarily decreased or the water supply section 15 This is because the erroneous detection of the full water level by the full water level detection unit 25 may not be resolved even after the third predetermined period of time has elapsed after starting water supply. Therefore, if the water supply section 15 supplies water to the water storage section 10 again, and the water storage section 10 reaches the full water level thereafter, it is determined that there is no failure of the water supply section 15, and the humidification operation continues.

Note that after the negative determination in S26 and before the process in S27, the drain valve 12 is opened, or if there is no drain valve 12, the rotation of the pumping pipe 21 is stopped, and the water accumulated in the water storage section 10 is drained once. You may. In this case, in the process of S27, the drain valve 12 is closed again, or if there is no drain valve 12, the pumping pipe 21 is rotated, and control is also executed to suppress draining from the drain section 11.

On the other hand, as a result of the process in S26, if it is determined that the abnormality counter is 3 or more (S26: Yes), even if 90 minutes have passed since the water supply unit 15 started storing water in the water storage unit 10, the water storage unit 10 means that it is not detected as a full water level, so it is highly likely that the water supply section 15 is out of order or the full water level detection section 25 is out of order. Therefore, in this case, the full water detection process notifies an abnormality due to a failure of the water supply unit 15 or the like (S28), and thereafter loops the process. Thereby, it is possible to notify the user of an abnormality due to a failure of the water supply section 15 or the like. Note that the above 90 minutes corresponds to the first predetermined time of the present invention. Further, the process of S28 corresponds to the notification section of the present invention.

Returning to FIG. 4, the description of the humidification operation process will be returned. After the water storage unit 10 is filled with water by the full water detection process in S3, in the humidification operation process, the water supply valve 17 is closed to stop water supply (S4).

Next, the humidification operation process executes the processes of S5 to S7 in order to perform the humidification operation. In the process of S5, the rotary motor 23 is turned on to rotate the water pump 21. Thereby, the water stored in the water storage section 10 is atomized by the above-described operation, and the air sucked through the suction port 2 is humidified.

Next, the humidification operation process waits until 30 minutes have elapsed when the water in the water storage unit 10 is expected to decrease (S6), and then the rotation of the rotary motor 23 is turned off and the humidification operation is temporarily stopped. (S7).

Next, the humidification operation process determines whether a specific time (24 hours in this embodiment) has passed since the liquid atomization device 1 was energized, or whether a specific time has passed since the last drying operation. A judgment is made (S8). As a result, if the measurement time has not elapsed (S8: No), the humidification operation process returns to the process of S2, water is supplied to the water storage section 10 again, and the humidification operation is restarted.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the specific time has elapsed as a result of the process in S8 (S8: Yes), then the processes in S9 to S11 shown in FIG. 5 are executed to perform a cleaning operation of the water storage section 10. In the process of S9, the water supply valve 17 is opened and the water supply section 15 starts supplying water to the water storage section 10. Next, in the humidification operation process, the same full water detection process as the process in S3 is executed (S10), and the full water level of the water storage section 10 is detected. The details of this full water detection process are as described above with reference to FIG.

When the full water level of the water storage unit 10 is detected by the full water detection process in S10, the humidification operation process closes the water supply valve 17 to stop the water supply by the water supply unit 15, and opens the drain valve 12 to store water in the water storage unit 10. Drainage of the water is started (S11). As a result, dirt and the like adhering to the water storage section 10 are flushed away from the drainage section 11 together with the drained water, and the water storage section 10 is washed. Therefore, the water storage section 10 is cleaned every time a specific period of time elapses, so that the humidification can be kept clean for a long period of time.

Here, in the humidification operation process, after the process in S11, it is determined whether a full water level is not detected as the water level of the water storage section 10 and an overwater level is not detected (S12). This determination is made by the method described above using the reference water level detection section 24, the full water level detection section 25, and the overflow water level detection section 26.

As a result of the processing in S12, if the water level of the water storage unit 10 is detected to be full or exceed the water level (S12: No), after the processing in S11, the fourth predetermined time (this implementation In this case, it is determined whether 3 hours have elapsed (S13).

As a result of the process in S13, if it is determined that the predetermined time has not elapsed (S13: No), the process returns to S12. On the other hand, as a result of the process in S13, if it is determined that the predetermined time has elapsed (S13: Yes), the water level of the water storage section 10 is detected as the full water level, or the predetermined time is detected as the water level in the water storage section 10. This means that time has passed, and indicates that the water storage section 10 has not been drained by the drainage section 11. That is, there is a high possibility that the drain valve 12 is malfunctioning and does not open, or the drain port or drain pipe constituting the drain section 11 is clogged with dirt, and a drainage abnormality occurs in which drainage is not performed. Therefore, in this case, a drainage abnormality is notified (S14), and the process is thereafter looped. Thereby, it is possible to notify the user of an abnormality due to a failure or clogging of the drainage section 11. Note that the process of S14 also corresponds to the notification section of the present invention.

On the other hand, as a result of the process in S12, if the full water level is not detected as the water level of the water storage unit 10 and an overwater level is not detected (S12: Yes), the predetermined water level that has definitely completed the drainage of the water storage unit 10 is determined. Wait until the time (45 minutes in this embodiment) has elapsed (S15). After the process of S15, drying operation process is started (S16).

In this drying operation process, air passing through the air supply path 58 of the heat exchange air device 50 is introduced into the liquid atomization device 1 from the suction port 2 of the liquid atomization device 1 and is supplied to the water storage section 10 . Thereby, the water storage section 10 is quickly dried. In addition, in the drying operation process, large water droplets are removed by driving the liquid atomization unit 19 for an initial predetermined time (for example, 30 minutes), that is, by turning on the rotary motor 23 and rotating the water pump 21. do. Thereafter, the liquid atomization unit 19 is stopped, that is, the rotation motor 23 is turned off, and the water storage unit 10 is naturally dried using only air supplied to the water storage unit 10. Thereby, the drying time of the water storage section 10 can be shortened, and energy saving can be achieved by suppressing the liquid atomization section 19 from being driven more than necessary.

Note that the amount of air supplied to the water storage unit 10 in the drying operation process may be set based on the humidity of the air sucked in from the outdoor side suction port 55.

For example, when the humidity of the air sucked through the outdoor suction port 55 is low, the water storage section 10 can be sufficiently dried even if the volume of air supplied to the water storage section 10 is reduced. Therefore, in this case, energy saving can be achieved by reducing the amount of air supplied to the water storage section 10. On the other hand, when the humidity of the air sucked in from the outdoor side suction port 55 is low, by increasing the volume of air supplied to the water storage section 10, the water storage section 10 can be reliably dried even if high humidity air is used. be able to.

In addition, in the drying operation process, the air supplied to the water storage unit 10 is heat exchanged with the air passing through the exhaust air passage 59 by the heat exchange element 64 based on the humidity of the air sucked in from the outdoor side suction port 55. The selected air may be selected from air passing through the air supply air passage 58 after the heat exchange has been performed, and air passing through the air supply air passage 58 without heat exchange by the heat exchange element 64.

For example, when the humidity of the air sucked in from the outdoor side suction port 55 is low, the air passing through the air supply air passage 58 is directly supplied to the water storage section 10 without performing heat exchange by the heat exchange element 64. Further, when the humidity of the air sucked in from the outdoor side suction port 55 is high, heat is exchanged with the air passing through the exhaust air path 59 by the heat exchange element 64, and the humidity is reduced in the air supply air path 58. The air passing through is supplied to the water storage section 10. Thereby, even if the humidity of the air sucked in from the outdoor side suction port 55 is high, the water storage section 10 can be reliably dried.

After the process of S16, it is determined whether sufficient time (one hour in this embodiment) for the water storage section 10 to dry has elapsed since the start of the drying operation (S17). Then, while the time has not elapsed (S17: No), the process of S17 is repeated, and if sufficient time has elapsed for the water storage section 10 to dry (S17: Yes), then the humidification operation process is performed. , executes water level detection unit correction processing (S18).

The correction in the water level detection unit correction process is performed based on the voltage values output from the reference water level detection unit 24, the full water level detection unit 25, and the overflow water level detection unit 26, as in the water level detection unit correction process at the time of initial energization in S1. This is performed by calculating the offset voltage value related to the water level detection section 25 and the offset voltage value related to the overflow water level detection section 26.

Thereafter, using the offset voltage value related to the full water level detection unit 25 calculated here, the offset voltage value related to the full water level detection unit 25 is added to the voltage value actually output from the full water level detection unit 25. The value is used as a voltage value output from the full water level detection section 25 to detect the full water level. Also, using the offset voltage value related to the overflow water level detection unit 26 calculated here, the value obtained by adding the offset voltage value related to the overflow water level detection unit 26 to the voltage value actually output from the overflow water level detection unit 26 is calculated. , is used as a voltage value output from the overflow water level detection section 26 to detect the full water level.

In this way, after the drying operation, the water storage section 10 is in a dry state, and the reference water level detection section 24, full water level detection section 25, and overflow water level detection section 26 are all in a dry state and under the same environment. . Therefore, by performing correction under such a situation, the water level in the water storage section 10 can be detected with high accuracy. Moreover, by periodically performing the correction, even if the reference water level detection section 24, the full water level detection section 25, and the overflow water level detection section 26 deteriorate over time and their characteristics change, the correction can be performed reliably.

After the process of S18, the humidification operation process returns to the process of S2.

As explained above, according to the liquid atomization device 1 and the heat exchange gas device 50 according to the present embodiment, after the water supply section 15 starts supplying water to the water storage section 10, the first predetermined time (this embodiment If the full water level detection section 25 that detects the full water level of the water storage section 10 does not detect the water level after 90 minutes have elapsed, a water supply abnormality is notified. Thereby, it is possible to notify the user of an abnormality due to a failure of the water supply section 15.

Further, after the water supply section 15 starts supplying water, if the overflow water level detection section 26 detects the overflow water level before the full water level detection section 25 detects the full water level, the water supply is stopped. In this case, there is a possibility that there is a malfunction in the detection of the full water level by the full water level detection section 25, or that the full water level detection section 25 is malfunctioning. This can prevent water from being supplied to other areas.

Further, after the water supply unit 15 starts supplying water, the water supply is stopped after a second predetermined time (5 minutes in this embodiment) shorter than the first predetermined time has elapsed. Thereby, even if the first water level detection section does not detect the first water level, it is possible to prevent water from being supplied to the water storage section 10 more than necessary.

Further, after the water supply unit 15 starts supplying water, the full water level detection unit 25 If the water level is not detected by the water supply section 15, the water supply section 15 supplies water again. As a result, if the full water level detection section 25 does not detect the full water level even after the third predetermined time has elapsed, it is not immediately determined that the water supply section 15 has failed, and water is supplied again. As a result, when the full water level can be detected by the full water level detection unit 25, humidification operation is performed, so that it is possible to suppress notification of failure of the water supply unit 15 more than necessary.

Further, after the drainage section 11 starts draining, the full water level detection section 25 or the overflow water level detection section 26 detects the full water level or the overflow water level after a fourth predetermined time (three hours in this embodiment) has elapsed. In this case, a drainage abnormality will be notified. Thereby, it is possible to notify the user of an abnormality due to a failure or clogging of the drainage section 11.

Although the present invention has been described above based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. This can be easily inferred. For example, the numerical values listed in the above embodiment are merely examples, and it is of course possible to employ other numerical values.

For example, the liquid atomization device 1 according to the embodiment described above may be included in an air cleaner or an air conditioner. Some air purifiers and air conditioners incorporate devices that vaporize liquid, such as water vaporizers for humidification purposes and hypochlorous acid vaporizers for sterilization/deodorization purposes. By using the liquid atomization device 1 as this device, a smaller and more energy efficient air cleaner or air conditioner can be obtained.

In the above embodiment, the liquid atomization device 1 has been described as an example of the humidification device, but the humidification device is not necessarily limited to this, and is a humidification device that is provided with a water storage portion and supplies water while determining the water level of the water storage portion. If so, the present invention is applicable.

The humidifying device according to the present invention can be applied to, for example, a device that humidifies indoor air. Further, the humidifying device according to the present invention can be applied to a water vaporizer, a hypochlorous acid vaporizer, etc. that are incorporated as one of the functions in a heat exchanger, an air cleaner, or an air conditioner.

1 Liquid atomization device 2 Suction port 3 Outlet port 4 Suction communication air path 5 Inner cylinder 5a Collision wall 6 Inner cylinder air path 7 Ventilation port 8 Outer cylinder air path 9 Outer cylinder 10 Water storage section 11 Drain section 12 Drain valve 15 Water supply section 16 Water supply pipe 17 Water supply valve 18 Overflow drain port 19 Liquid atomization unit 20 Rotating shaft 21 Lifting pipe 22 Rotating plate 23 Rotating motor 24 Reference water level detection unit 25 Full water level detection unit 26 Overflow water level detection unit 50 Heat exchange gas device 52 Housing 54 Outdoor side outlet 55 Outdoor side suction port 56 Indoor side suction port 57 Indoor side outlet 58 Air supply air path 59 Exhaust air path 62 Air supply fan 63 Exhaust fan 64 Heat exchange element 66 Indoor side temperature/humidity sensor 67 Outdoor side temperature/humidity sensor

Claims (4)

A suction port that sucks air,
an outlet that blows out the air sucked in from the inlet;
A humidifying device, comprising: a humidifying section that is provided in an air path between the suction port and the air outlet, and that humidifies the air;
a water storage unit that stores water for humidifying the air by the humidification unit;
a water supply unit that supplies water to the water storage unit;
a first water level detection unit provided in the water storage unit and configured to detect a first water level of the water storage unit;
If the first water level detection unit does not detect the first water level after a first predetermined time has elapsed after the water supply unit starts supplying water, the water supply unit cannot supply water to the water storage unit. a notification unit that notifies a failure of the water supply unit ;
a second water level detection unit that detects a second water level of the water storage unit that is higher than the first water level;
After the water supply unit starts supplying water, if the second water level detection unit detects the second water level before the first water level detection unit detects the first water level, the water supply unit detects the second water level. A humidifying device characterized by stopping water supply to a water storage section . The humidifying device according to claim 1 , wherein after the water supply unit starts supplying water, the water supply is stopped after a second predetermined time period shorter than the first predetermined time period has elapsed. After the water supply unit starts water supply, after a third predetermined time has elapsed, which is shorter than the first predetermined time and longer than a second predetermined time, which is shorter than the first predetermined time, the third predetermined time is elapsed. 3. The humidifying device according to claim 2 , wherein when the water level detection section does not detect the water level, the water supply section supplies water again. A casing having an outdoor suction port, an outdoor air outlet, an indoor suction port, and an indoor air outlet;
an air supply path that communicates the outdoor side suction port and the indoor side air outlet;
an exhaust air passage communicating the indoor side suction port and the outdoor side air outlet;
an air supply fan that is provided in the air supply air path and guides air from the outdoor air intake port to the indoor air outlet;
an exhaust fan that is provided in the exhaust air passage and guides air from the indoor air intake port to the outdoor air outlet;
an indoor humidity sensor that detects the humidity of the air sucked from the indoor suction port,
A ventilation system, wherein the air supply air path is provided with a humidifier according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , and the air sucked from the outdoor side suction port is humidified.

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